Creative Spark

On Friday’s I like to spend some time with friends and watch movies. In this case it was one called It Might Get Loud. It is a great documentary on the backgrounds of the above three musicians. Perhaps the word artist is applicable as well. They delve into the source of the creative spark and come back with magic.

It made me want to pick up my own guitar and a flood of memories from my youth overcame me as I found myself singing along with many a forgotten band. Yet somewhere in their roots the influence took hold and adapted, mutated and sprung out of their soul like a bat out of hell.

As it is difficult to capture a flood of memories (yours no doubt being a different chaos than mine) I can focus on just one of thousands. It was my cousin Lana’s wedding day. She married her love Tom and we were all a little bit drunk, happy, and celebrating. There was a live band and I asked them if I could use their equipment to play a song. No problem! I put on the guitar, came up to the mike and sang into it “A long, long time ago…” and got to the verse “ I could make those people dance” and watched them do so as I belted out American Pie.

Of course Lana said she would never forget, but my memory fades and I cannot remember the type of guitar or if the band joined me while I was playing and singing that song. Worse today I would not recognize the person who lent me their guitar. Yes a long, long time ago I was a typical youth, full of emotion who wrote a lot of songs that unfortunately only a few ears have ever heard.

Somewhere after that I took a fork in the road. I gave Jim McIntire my electric 12 string guitar and my electric bass. Frank Guiterez got my Vox organ and a Fender amp. My life as a musician was officially over and eventually I became a consultant. But there were a few bumps in the road before getting here!

Good memories that regardless of which road, I always use my creative spark!